Telephone substation set



7, 1947 wfD. TEAGUE Er AL 2,428,593

TELEPHONE SUBSTTION SET Oct.

= Filed Aug. 11, 1941 Patented Oct. 7, 1947 TELEPHONE SUBSTATION SET Walter D. Teague, Annandale, N. IJ., and Walter D. Teague, Jr., Douglaston, Long Island, N. Y., assignors to Kellogg ,Switchboard and `Supply Company, Chicago, Il1.',a corporation of Illinois Application August 11, 1941, SerialNo. 406,256

6 Claims.

This invention relates to telephone substation sets, being concerned more particularly with telephone ,substations employing hand telephones.

`An object of the invention is to provide a substation telephone set inco-rporating a simple and efiicient arrangement for actuating the switch of theinstrument by the weight of the hand telelphoneand for retaining the hand telephone in position to maintain the switch actuated.

Another object of the invention is the provision .of Ia desk-type of substation set employing a hand telephone and incorporating a simple and eicient .construction which enables the user of the instrument to grasp both the stand and the hand -set to facilitate lifting and moving the entire substation set.

A'feature. of the invention is that the switchactuating plunger serves to hold the hand set in position against lateral displacement and also .retains the hand set againstlhorizontal rotation.

For this purpose the plunger is conveniently made of oblong .cross-section and is received within a longitudinalrecess in the handle of the hand set.

A feature especially applicable to desk-type Sets is that the support portion for the handle ofthe hand telephone is undercut at the front and atthe rear toenable the user to grasp both the stand and thehand telephonein one hand,

whicharrangementI greatly facilitates lifting and moving the entire substation set without disturbing the relation ibetween the stand and the hand telephone.

IThe foregoing and other objects and `features of .the invention will become more apparent as -the description progresses.

`Referring now to the accompanying drawings, itlhas beenchosen to illustrate all of the features ofthe invention as applied to a desk type of substation set,v although certain of the features are applicable to wall telephones, for example.

A ',Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a desk set embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front View along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1'; and

llig. 3 is ,an enlarged View similar to Fig. 1, but with parts broken away to enable the switch and its actuating mechanism to be seen.

YThe stand portion of the illustrate-d desk set islshown at 2 with the` integral `pedestal portion I .Bon whichvthe handle 4I3 of the hand telephone normally rests. The portions I8 and 20 of the hand telephone contain the usual transmitter and receiver respectively. The hand telephone is electricallyiconnected to the stand by the usualcord y23,-vvhi1e the standis connected to a telephone line through the cord 2e,

The stand v2 has'the hollow interior portion `'I for concealing the usual instrumentalities, such' as condenser, ringer, and switch.

The pedestal portion I6 has a verticallydisposed. recess I5 therein of generally oblong crosssection for slidingly receiving the plunger i4'. .The

plunger I4 has the switch actuating stud yEi threadedly attached thereto as illustrated.

The stand, the hand telephone, and the plunger I4 may conveniently be molded of an insulating plastic material. The insert member .i3 into which the upper end I2 of the stud 9 is threaded may be molded into the plunger i4.

The compression spring il, surrounding .the stud 9, is provided to assist in raising the plunger I4 toy enable the switch to close its ycontacts when the hand telephone is removed from its illustrated normal position. The lower portionoi spring I I rests against the membery lil, whichmay be threadedly or otherwise secured in place. A washer or head portion 25 on the lower end of the stud 9 limits the upward movement of the plunger assembly by contact with the lower face of the insert member I0 when the plunger assembly moves up.

Normally, the hand telephone is resting in the position illustrated, with the upper portion of plunger I received within the longitudinal recess I 'I in the handle I9. The contact between the upper end of plunger Il and thebottom or innermost portion of recess II holds the plunger I4 down in its illustrated position, and the lower Vend of stud 9 maintains the contact springs/danni 5 of the switch out of engagement with the contact springs 5 and 'I respectively. Lateral movement of the hand telephone is prevented'by con'- tact between the side walls of plunger lil and the wall portion dening the recess il'. At thesame time, rotation of the hand set in a horizontal plane about the plunger Il as a pivot is prevented because of the keying action between plunger Iil and the side walls of the recess Il.

One end wall of the stand 2 may be apertured to'receive the usual calling device 22 when the substation set is connected with an automatic telephone line.

When it is desired to move the substation set bodily without removing the hand telephone (I8, I9, 20) from its illustrated position on the stand, the user may grasp the handle I9 of the hand telephone and the support portion I6 of the stand for this purpose. The thumb'may .enter therecess 2,I inthe front ofthesupportpom Yreplacing the hand telephone.

tion I6, while the fingers enter the recess 2| at the rear of the support portion. When the substation set is so grasped, it may be moved and turned in any position without permitting the hand telephone to move from lits position with respect to the stand, for the palm of the hand then engages and holds the handle I9.

When a call is to be answered at or made from the illustrated substation, the user may grasp the handle I 9 Vand lift the hand telephone for use. When this occurs, the removal of the weight of the hand telephone from the upper end of the plunger I4 permits the plunger to rise underthe urge of the compression spring II, as' well asV under the urge of the contact springs 4 and 1.

2. In a telephone substation set, a hand telephone comprising two instrument portions interconnected Vby a handle, a pedestal extending upwardly between the instrument portions and having an upper supporting surface engaging the underside of the handle when the hand telephone is in normal position, said surface thenjsupporting such hand telephone in stable equilibrium in a generally horizontal position, a switch, anda plunger operatively associated with said switch and' extending up through said pedestal and supporting surface to lbe actuated by the weight of the hand telephone, the underside of said handle having a recess receiving said plunger when the The upward movement continues until the washer or head portion 25 of the stud 9 encounters the s insert member Iii. plunger I4 has been raised out of the recess I5. At this time, the illustrated contacts of springs 4 and 6 of the switch engage the illustrated contacts of the springs 5 and l, respectively, placing the substation set in talking condition,

Upon completing the intended use of the substation set, the user is expected to replace the hand telephone on the stand, with the recess I1 encompassing the exposed end of the plunger I4, and aligned with the width of the plunger I4. When this occurs, the weight of the hand telephone depresses the plunger I4 to its illustrated normal position against the tension of springs I I, 4, and 6. The contact switch is thereby brought to its illustrated normal position.

It should be noted that the exposed end, or corner, portions of the plunger I4 are sloped, and that the longitudinal side walls of the recess I'I have an outward flare. These two provisions combine to enable the hand telephone to spiral downwardly through a considerable angle to the illustrated position of alignment when the hand telephone is being replaced. This makes it unnecessary for the user to align the handle of theV hand telephone accurately with the plunger when Also, the end walls deiining the ends of the recess I1 are sloped to correspond with the slope of the corner portions of -the plunger I4, enabling the hand telephone to slide longitudinally into its illustrated position when released to one side or the other of the preferred position. Y

We claim:

1. In a telephone substation set, a hand telephone comprising two instrument portions inter-.

connected by a handle, a pedestal extending upwardly between the instrument portions and having an upper supporting surface engaging the Yunderside of the handle when the hand telephone hand telephone is in its saidfnormal position, said plunger cooperating with the side walls defining said recess to prevent lateral displacement of said hand telephone from'its Ynormal rest condition ofrstable equilibrium on said supporting surface, said plunger being ofVnon-circular cross-section,

This occurs before the*A hand telephone is in-its said normal position, said plunger cooperating with the side walls deiining said recess Yto, prevent lateral displacement of saidrhrand telephone from its normal rest'condition of stable equilibrium on said supporting surface, said plunger being of generally oblong crosssection, said recess extending longitudinally of the handle and conforming sufficiently in shape and size to the shape and size of the plunger that rotation of the hand set about the plunger as an axis is prevented. Y

3. In a telephone'substation set, ahand telephone comprising two instrument portions interconnected by a handle, 'a pedestal extending upwardly between the instrument portions .and having an upper supporting surface engaging the underside of. the handle when the hand telephone is in normal position, said surface then supporting such hand telephone in stable equilibrium in a generally horizontal position, ar switch, Vand, Y a

plunger operatively associated with said switchY and extending up through said pedestal and supporting Surface to be actuated by the weightV of the hand telephone, the underside of said handle having a recess receiving saidlplunger when the hand telephone is in its said normal position, said plunger cooperating with the 4side walls defining said recess to prevent lateral Ydisplacement of said'hand telephone from its normal rest condition of stable-equilibrium on said supporting surface, said plunger, being of Vgenerally oblong cross-section, said recess extending longitudinally of the handle and conforming Vsufliciently in shape andr size to the shape and Ysize of the plunger that rotation ofthe hand set about the plunger as an axis is prevented, said plunger having sloping end walls near the top cooperating with the walls dening said recesstowbring the hand set horizontally and spirally into .position as it-descends with respect to said plunger.

4. In a desk-type telephone substation set, a

hand telephone comprising two instrument por-4 tions interconnectedby ahandle, and a stand having a pedestal thereon for normally'supporting the said handle in a generally horizontal position and in a generally xed angular positionin a horizontal plane, oppositeV side wallsl *of` saidV pedestal being undercut at points intersected Vby a vertical plane at right angles to said handle in its normal position to Yfacilitate grasping the Y hand telephone Yandthe pedestal inY one Vhand and'said recess being of across-section and sizeV Yconforming suiiiciently to the cross-sectionA and size of said plunger that Arotation of the Vhand set about the VVplunger asian axis is prevented.

when the entire substation set moved.

is to be lifted and normally maintaining said handle in a generally fixed angular position in a horizontal plane, the side walls of said pedestal aligned with the side walls of said handle in normal position being undercut to provide a generally T-shaped crosssection in a vertical plane, said undercut configuration facilitating grasping the hand telephone and the pedestal in one hand when the entire substation set is to be lifted and moved.

6. In a telephone substation set, a hand telephone comprising a receiver portion and a transmitter portion interconnected by a handle, a switch', an upwardly extending plunger operatively associated with said switch and adapted to be actuated by the weight of the hand telephone when the handle is placed on the upper end of said plunger, the underside of said handle having a recess for receiving said plunger, said plunger cooperating with the side walls defining said recess to limit lateral displacement of the hand set from its position of rest on the plunger, said plunger having a generally oblong configuration in a horizontal plane, and a support for the hand telephone surrounding said plunger, said support having a generally oblong configuration in a horizontal plane and having a vertically disposed opening therethrough for guiding said plunger, the top surface of said support acting to support said hand telephone and to maintain it in stable equilibrium thereon in a generally horizontal position, each' of the longer side walls of said support being undercut opposite the plunger to facilitate `grasping the hand telephone and the support in one hand when the entire substation set is to be lifted and moved.

WALTER D. TEAGUE. WALTER D. TEAGUEL JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

